How to Repair a Small Ding in a Surfboard

It surprises me how many times I see surfboards with small dings in them that have not been repaired. If you don't repair them, it won't be long before you
end up with a waterlogged tanker. To repair your surfboard with small damage does not take much time and you do not have to be particularly handy.
It is very easy to fix surfboard dings. What you need is a product called Sun Cure. It is cheap, you can buy a tube of it for less than
ten dollars. So if you haven't been repairing your surfboard because you thought it was going to take too long or be expensive, think again.

The type of dings to your surfboard that I am talking about are small. If you have significant damage to your surfboard then you will need
to have it repaired at a surf shop or if you feel up to the challenge, there are kits available to repair
larger damage to your surfboard. I have included a few resources if you are interested in making larger repairs to your
surfboard. There is a good how-to book on the subject. If you have the time, you can do the repairs yourself.

When you repair a small ding in a surfboard it doesn't mean that you are going to be without your surfboard for days. It takes
just a few minutes and then your surfboard is good to go. So let's get to it, here's how you can repair your own surfboard.

Steps to Repair a Surfboard with Sun Cure

Find a shady well ventilated area to work on your surfboard. You want to be in the shade so that the wax on your
surfboard doesn't melt while you are repairing your surfboard ding.

Examine your surfboard carefully for all damage. Sometimes there are very small punctures that are easy not to see. I
like to mark them with a washable marker if I have a few so that I don't miss any once I've got the Sun Cure out.

Use some fine sandpaper and lightly sand the area you are going to apply the Sun Cure. Take it easy with this step, try to
sand just the area you will be applying the resin. Don't make this repair job bigger than it needs to be. Keep your surfboard looking its
best. No need for a huge glob of this stuff if the puncture is a pin prick sized hole. The sanding is just to roughen up the area you will be working on.

Once you've finished roughing up all the areas of your surfboard that you will be working on, use a clean dry cloth to
clean up the surface area. Make sure the ding is completely dry. Sometimes water will still be trying to seep out, so get this area nice and dry with your cloth.

Open up the tube and apply it with a wooden popsicle stick or anything else that you won't mind tossing away when
you are finished. Plastic knives or spoons work well too. Just put a small dab onto the end of the popsicle stick and spread it as smoothly
over the ding as you can. If you get it nice and smooth you might not even need to sand it when it's dry.

When you are done spreading the Sun Cure, take the surfboard out into the sun. Angle the surfboard so that the ding is
facing the direct sun. If you've got a few, maybe move the angle of the surfboard half way through the curing process.

If it is not a sunny day you can still do the repair, it's just not going to work if it's raining out. If it is a hot
sunny day, put a beach towel down over the top of your surfboard, so that your surf wax doesn't melt all over your surfboard. I learned this
the hard way, when I forgot about my surfboard the first time I did a repair. I came out an hour later to a waxy mess all over my
surfboard. At least the Sun Cure was nice and hard. :)

The hardening times for Sun Cure are: 4 - 5 minutes in full sun. 6 - 8 minutes in partial sun and 10 - 20 minutes if it is an overcast day.

Once the resin has hardened, take it out of the sun and feel the repair job. If it is not smooth, lightly sand the area to remove any rough bumps.

That's it you're done. As you can see, repairing surfboards is easy if the damage is small. Now, get out there and surf!